The political legacy of Stephen Harper
Harper never wanted to accept being second-best in any capacity, and that went double for our nation
Stephen Harper earned my enduring respect
10 reasons why I did not detest Stephen Harper
Canadian conservatives need to pause, regroup
Despite the hype, Canadian conservatism will recover
Politics, by nature, is a system of ebbs and flows. Ideological positions pass in and out of vogue with the electorate. Support for certain policy positions, including the size of government, taxes, funding of social services and international affairs, swings frequently on the left-right pendulum. Political parties and leaders are called triumphant warriors in one…
2015 election came down to the politics of resentment
Fear and loathing of Harper trumped fear of leaving the country hostage to profound inexperience
Last week, several colleagues at the University undertook a post mortem of the federal election. Two of our recent PhD graduates, David Coletto (2010), now CEO of Abacus Data, and Paul Fairie (2013), a principal with Centrality Data Science, provided a fine-grained analysis of what had been a two-part campaign. Part one, Canadians decided that…
Five reasons why Canadians should thank Stephen Harper
He also provided a clear reminder that the price of democracy is eternal vigilance
The predictable post-election criticism of Stephen Harper — even from within his Conservative caucus — fails to acknowledge that we have much to thank the soon-to-be former prime minister for. Yes, losing the Oct. 19 federal election should rest on the shoulders of Harper and a decade of government decisions. But many Canadians are thankful for the outcome,…
Stephen Harper’s exit
Harper joins the long list of Canadian politicians who stayed too long and pushed their luck too far
When we left the country to go travelling at the end of September, I expected the Conservatives to win a slim minority and defer parliament’s reconvening to early January, at which point the opposition would combine forces to bring the government down. Then, unable to command the confidence of the House, Stephen Harper would ask…
Stephen Harper a rare Canadian statesman
Harper is only the 4th statesman to appear in Canadian history in the last century and a half
“The first study of a statesman,” Edmund Burke observed, “must be the temper of the people,” what Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls “the fundamental values and understanding of Canadians.” On the surface, Burke continued, public opinion simply involves complaints over the loss of an allegedly glorious past and extravagant hope for the future. But complaints…
A balanced budget no miracle cure for ailing Canadian economy
Proposing a balanced budget reflects a failure to grasp the modern economic role of government
The 2015 federal election will go down in history for establishing a new record and confirming a reality check. First, it will be recorded as the longest campaign in Canadian electoral history. Our political campaigns used to be a sprint to the finish line. This time, it is a marathon of perpetual political bashing and…
Why First Nations peoples should vote for Harper
At least the Harper Conservatives have a plan, beyond expressing platitudes
Before those suffering Harper Derangement Syndrome get their shorts in a knot (as if that will not ever happen), let me enumerate the reasons why First Nations peoples – especially those at the grassroots level – should strongly consider voting for the Conservative government. First, let me agree that the Tories are not perfect and…
You want votes? Get off the script
The party that wins this election will be the one that finds a way to connect with Canadians in an authentic way
An election campaign is a contest, not for the party faithful, but for the undecided voters who could tilt toward any of the major choices under the right circumstances. But, just as the outdated consumer loyalty to a certain automotive has gone out the window, so too has party loyalty. Votes are no longer passed…